Hillsborough County health officials report today that the number of laboratory confirmed influenza cases reported by health practitioners remains high in the county. During this flu season, 30 outbreaks have been recorded including nine outbreaks of influenza were reported in child care facilities/school and two in long-term care facilities (LTCF). OneContinue Reading
The USF College of Public Health’s (COPH) online master of public health program has been ranked number one on the list of the top 50 best online MPH programs across the country, according to the Master’s Programs Guide. With no less than seven distinct online MPH degree specializations available through the USF College of PublicContinue Reading
Doctors are encouraging parents to better understand the mental health risks associated with children and adolescents diagnosed with scoliosis. In addition to physical pain and discomfort, having an abnormality like scoliosis at a sensitive age can take an emotional toll. Some effects of scoliosis include relationship issues, low self-esteem andContinue Reading
Stem cell transplants can cure patients with high-risk leukemia or lymphoma. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a potentially life-threatening side effect that occurs when the donor’s immune cells attack the recipient’s normal tissues. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers are trying to identify new drug targets to reduce the risk of GVHD. Their new study, publishedContinue Reading
Health officials in Pinellas County say flu activity is higher this tear than last, prompting them to remind residents that there’s still time to receive your flu shot to protect yourself and your loved ones from the flu. Flu activity remains widespread and consistently increasing in Pinellas County as well asContinue Reading
In partnership with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County (DOH-Pinellas) will be offering flu shots at no cost to families at a hospital clinic. The clinic takes place from 10 AM to 8 PM on Wednesday, Nov 8 on the second floor of the hospital’sContinue Reading
Nearly seven years ago, after she learned of her son, Byron’s, sudden death from a gunshot wound Orkiya Andrews found hope in the darkness of tragedy – an opportunity for Byron’s legacy to live on through organ donation. Thanks to a selfless act of generosity, Byron saved six lives throughContinue Reading
The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County received confirmation of a case of tuberculosis and is working with Pasco County Schools to identify anyone who may have been in close contact with the individual for extended periods of time. The health department is contacting all involved parties to makeContinue Reading
It demonstrated these capabilities by meeting the comprehensive preparedness benchmarks required by Project Public Health Ready (PPHR), a unique partnership between NACCHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. DOH-Pinellas joins a cohort of more than 450 local health departments across the country that have been distinguished for excellenceContinue Reading
Moffitt Cancer Center Executive Vice President and Center Director Thomas A. Sellers, Ph.D., MPH, was joined by State Rep. James Grant and State Sen. Dana Young today to announce a new bill asking lawmakers for an $8 million increase in the annual funding that the cancer center receives from Florida’sContinue Reading
There were 1888 cases of chronic hepatitis C reported in Hillsborough County last year, easily the most reported disease in 2016, according to the Hillsborough County Health Department. The number of cases of chronic hepatitis C wee far greater than hepatitis B (344), according to health department data. There isContinue Reading
SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) is offering a Medicare 101 seminar at the St. Petersburg Main Library on September 28 at 11 a.m., and at the South Community Library on September 30 at 11 a.m. The seminar will provide an introduction to Medicare, and attendees will learn aboutContinue Reading
The investigational drug, at least partially credited for saving the life of 16-year-old Sebastian Deleon, the teen that was infected with the 97 percent lethal “brain-eating amoeba”, Naegleria fowleri, miltefosine is on the shelves at the Tampa VA hospital as part of a consignment program between the Orlando-based pharmaceutical company,Continue Reading
With the reports of five additional locally transmitted Zika virus infections in the state of Florida, including the first case in Pinellas County, US Representative for Florida’s 13th Congressional District, David Jolly had some things to say about calling on Congress to return to Washington, D.C. to pass a long-term Zika fundingContinue Reading
A non-travel related case of Zika virus has been reported in Pinellas County today, one of five new cases reported statewide (the other four were reported in the Wynwood area of Miami). This puts the number of locally acquired, or non-travel related cases in Florida to 42. The Florida Department of HealthContinue Reading
Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) and Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL-14) today visited with patients and families of St. Joseph’s Children’s Chronic-Complex to update the progress of the ACE Kids Act in Congress and build momentum on getting it passed this year. The ACE Kids Act is modeled after the “medical home” conceptContinue Reading
Local transmission of Zika virus is in Florida and today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the Florida Department of Health puts the tally at 36 with five individuals connected to the Miami Beach area. In Tampa, experts from the University of South Florida (USF) along with Representatives Kathy Castor and David JollyContinue Reading
The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County invites the public to take part in free rapid HIV and Hepatitis “C” testing events. The first will take place Tuesday, August 23, 2016 from 4:00pm-7:00pm at the Spirit of Life Church located at 4133 Thys Road in New Port Richey. TheContinue Reading
The number of sexually transmitted infections reported in Hillsborough County during the first six months of 2016 are being seen at increased numbers compared to the same period in 2015, according to newly published epidemiological data from the Hillsborough County Health Department (HCHD). Chlamydia is the most commonly reported bacterialContinue Reading
St. Petersburg College, which has more than 64,000 enrolled students, became a tobacco-free institution on Aug. 1 The student-driven initiative gained the support of administrators, faculty and student government. The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County’s (DOH-Pinellas) Tobacco Prevention Program provided technical assistance. “We support tobacco-free policies in schoolsContinue Reading
The U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals for Cancer rankings were released Tuesday and it was amazing news for the Moffitt Cancer Center, now ranked at number six on the list, rising from number 18 in 2015, making the facility the top ranked cancer hospital in the Southeast and in the state ofContinue Reading
